2020
by tinker
Summary: OK, Highlander/Dark Angel crossover. AU I guess - Max left way back after BBWW. Dark Angel setting, only Mac, Methos and Joe from Highlander so far. Max arrives in Seacouver and starts working for Mac.
1. Seacouver

OK, my first (and probably pretty miserable) attempt at a Dark Angel/Highlander crossover.  
Considering I have never seen Highlander, I ask you to be nice! There's like a whole page of  
me explaining things, so sorry about that. It's pretty much AU.  
Dark Angel pplz:  
Max escaped in '13 because she wasn't with the others when they got out, someone else,  
maybe Jondy, started shaking and so Zack had to get them out. Max left in BBWW, and she's  
a bit more obedient to Zack than before, plus I'm thinking that she uses guns, but only when  
desperate. Tell me if you think I should change that. She's not in much contact with Logan;  
they might get together, I really don't know. But Zack and Max definitely won't be together,  
sorry. Max was sent on a mission at, I don't know, 12 or so, to find out the Watchers. She  
covered them up, made them out to be wackos, and she won't recognise anyone or be  
recognised but knows about Immortals.   
For those who haven't seen Highlander:  
Highlander is a show about Duncan Macleod, Adam Pierson (aka Methos), and some others  
but I'm not using them here. They are immortal; they can't die short of losing their head, and  
then their life and power go into their killer (that's a 'Quickening'). All wounds heal with  
blue sparks, within seconds usually, longer depending on how bad. Some immortals are  
peaceful, some 'headhunters' go around 'challenging' others to a fight to the death, so they  
can gain their power. These duels are fought with swords, and have rules like, never fight on  
holy ground, no interference, only swords etc, serious consequences if disobeyed. 'Methos' is  
a legendary immortal 5000 years old. Whenever word gets out he's still alive, he's  
headhunted. 'Watchers' are an organisation that formed to keep an eye on Immortals, record  
their lives but are not supposed to interfere, or even speak to them. Immortals aren't really  
supposed to know about Watchers, but Methos is posing as the head Watcher researcher of  
the Methos project LOL.   
For those who haven't seen Dark Angel:  
It's 2020. Max is a 19yo genetically engineered soldier created by the US government. She's  
known to them as an X5 - her designation, X5-452. There are different groups of the soldiers,  
X1, X2 etc but because of the bad engineering, some groups are all dead or mutated. Max's  
group mostly aren't, she has a series of 'brothers and sisters' as they call each other. Zack is  
one, he's the overprotective big brother that's pretty military. OK, this training place where  
they were made is called Manticore, it's totally top-secret and the kind of training they got  
was like torture - eg breaking bones to see how fast they heal, and other evil stuff. Making  
them hunt and kill people. The free brothers and sisters escaped in 2009; she did in 2013.  
Max moved to Seattle about 2 years ago, and made some friends, got a job. She also met  
Logan Cale, known as Eyes Only to the rest of the world - a hacker who does TV broadcasts  
with evidence against criminals, sometimes killing them and sometimes getting them jailed.  
Max used to help him often, now it's less frequent.  
OK!! Now that I've bored you to tears, on with the story already...  
  
***** Washington DC, 2020 *****  
Max glanced around a little as she rode her baby down the street. She was looking for work -  
arrived in Washington yesterday and already relishing the slightly better conditions. Seattle  
had been a bit of a hole before the Pulse - and it was harder hit by the Pulse than most cities  
anyway. Suddenly she did a bit of a double take. There was work available in a shop across  
the street. She swerved the bike around to park, giving the finger to the various drivers pissed  
off at her sudden move, and checked out the shop. Antiques...well, that was okay, she  
thought. She had done a fair bit of study on them for a mission when she was eleven, so at  
least she knew her stuff - that was probably pretty rare.  
Walking into the shop, she took in the surroundings, and noticed a man behind the counter at  
the back.  
"Hey." She called, and he looked up. "Yes?"  
"I'm here about the job available. Taken yet?"  
"Had a few applicants, but I want someone who knows something about antiques." He added  
the last bit pointedly. Perfect, Max thought.  
"I do." He looked mildly surprised and sceptical.   
"Okay, tell me what this is then?" He gestured to a statue, and Max gave him the lowdown.  
He quizzed her on two more before nodding, seeming satisfied. "It's eight to six-thirty  
weekdays, nine to six-thirty Saturdays, and ten to five Sundays. Pay's on the notice; doubt  
you'd miss that. Normal clothes, nick the stuff, make a habit of coming in drunk or fairly late  
and you're fired - the usual. When can you start?"  
"Tomorrow?"  
"Good. I'll want a name, phone number, address?" Time to start obeying Zackie, she thought  
morosely. Goodbye, Max Guevara from Seattle, who "doesn't have a fucking phone number,  
this is post-Pulse idiot!"  
"Anna Paulsen, beeper's 34916829, I'm staying with a friend for a few days so no addy as  
yet."  
"Right. Got a criminal record?" He grinned.  
"Yeah, I'm a genetically engineered escapee from a government military facility on the run.  
Also a murderer and thief, last job working for Eyes Only." She said deadpan, then grinned  
back at the man whose grin had momentarily frozen. "Couple of parking tickets."  
"Tomorrow, then."  
"Tomorrow."  
She walked out and got back on her baby, now cruising for a flat - or somewhere to live. She  
had a bag with a few changes of clothes, money, tryptophan and some...tools. *wink wink  
nudge nudge*. She found a likely-looking building and walked in. A guy was just coming  
out, and she asked him "Hey, you live here?"  
"Yeah, what?"  
"What's it take to move in? Anywhere free?"  
"Second floor's clear for squatters, two flats. You gotta pitch for this month's payoff  
though."  
"How much?"  
"20 bucks per place. Need it tonight." Max winced. Couldn't spare that much.  
"Can't do that. How many in this place?"  
"'Bout fifteen, twenty full flats."  
"Got electricity? Gas?"  
"Whaddaya think we are, Buckingham Palace?"  
"I can hook it up, no charge if everyone'll pitch in for me this month."  
He looked thoughtful. "Well, we all need it. I'll pass word round. Come with me."  
"Thanks." She followed him as they went knocking for it.  
"Oi. Jackie." He yelled. A black woman opened the door, looking pissed. "Oh, you. What is  
it?" He jerked his head towards Max. "She can hook up the gas if everyone pitches in a buck  
for her payoff this month."  
"She good for it?"  
"She's putting it through before she gets a dollar." Max cut in. "He's taking the money and  
paying the bribe for me. If it fucks up too much, I'm out."  
"Deal." The woman stuffed a dollar note into the man's hand. They went round to the other  
flats, and it was the same. Hook it up first; then the guy would give her the money.  
"It's a pretty good lot round here, ya know." He said to Max as they walked.  
"Not too much stealing, a few gangs give us a hit but we got some big guys - and not much to  
pay them - so we're all right. Good people, too, ya know what I mean?"  
"Yeah."   
"Gotta warn ya, you'll be out if you're getting us down."  
"I'll be a good girl." She replied sarcastically. He just laughed. "Sure sure."  
After collecting from everyone, he led her to the old power board.  
"Where's your flat?" She asked him, and he indicated it.  
"I'll knock when I'm done. Knowing these things it'll take awhile.  
"You hooked power up in somewhere like this before?"  
"Mate, it's how I get my first payoff." He nodded and went back to his flat. Max pulled out  
her tools and went to work. It was old and everything was pretty much rotting, was the main  
problem, but she had some spare stuff - she knew from experience you could get a flat if you  
could fix the power. Two hours later, lights buzzed on in the building, and the guy came out  
of his room to pay her, looking pleased.   
"Beaut. Didn't think you could do it, straight up, damn thing looked beat, but it's working.."  
He handed over the cash, as a few squatters wandered out of their rooms to yell a thanks  
down the stairs. A buck was damn good for getting someone to hook up power - and getting  
it at all probably made them among the only squatters in the city with power.   
"Welcome!" She yelled. It was almost as rare to find a block where you could get everyone  
to pitch in for your payoff. She settled in all you could with as little stuff as she had, and  
spent the night checking out the city, then catching a couple of hours sleep, gulping down  
some milk for a substitute breakfast. Seizures tended to come more if she was low on food  
for a few months. She headed straight for work, arriving ten minutes early.  
Mac was just unlocking the door as she arrived. Good, he thought with surprise. She's early.  
Seeming to read his thoughts, she grinned at him. "Don't get used to it." He laughed.  
"Wasn't planning to."  
The day was uneventful. As Max had expected, she wasn't trusted with anything valuable as  
yet, but was charged with cleaning and organising the shop. Two weeks later, Max was  
actually beginning to get bored. Wasn't this some kind of record? Two weeks without  
someone stuffing up her life totally? Duncan Macleod - or Mac, as she'd come to call him,  
was a decent boss, and she'd made some friends within her block. She hadn't called Logan -  
they had agreed not to contact each other except in emergencies. She'd also gotten to know a  
few frequent visitors to the shop, friends of Mac - some guy called Adam Pierson, and a  
Richie Ryan. Richie was all right; about Logan's age - that stung - and easygoing.   
But that Adam guy...she liked him, sure, but something was weird about him. For one thing,  
he was pretty good at either eluding you or tailing you when he felt like it - not as good as  
her, of course, but still, very good for a norm. And he joked about things that had happened  
thousands of years ago like he'd been there. That was normal enough, but Max had watched  
him carefully one time when he'd said something like that, and his eyes were so serious...she  
was a very good judge of liars, or jokers, and she knew when someone was joking about  
something fabulous that they alone knew was true. Looking exactly how she and her siblings  
did, when they went to throw someone off about their pasts by telling the truth. But  
thousands of years old? She wouldn't have put it past Manticore to manage to make someone  
like that, but Manticore wasn't there thousands of years ago. All she could think of was a  
mission she hadn't dared even think about since it happened. One on some people called  
Immortals. She kept a close watch on him - hopefully without his notice. He knew much  
more than he was letting on, at least to her.  
Methos...  
Bloody Hannah Ruscen. She was badgering him day and night about whatever seemed to  
come into her head - it was as if she suspected him of something. But why me? He thought  
ironically. I'm only a legendary immortal that's not even supposed to exist, posing as a  
Watcher and breaking Watcher laws right and left. Why would you suspect me? Maybe he'd  
pull out of the Watchers for awhile. Have Adam Pierson die dramatically and go get  
reacquainted with Nebraska. Or, better yet, have Adam Pierson die dramatically and come  
back to life...now that was an idea. Have the Watchers get their very own reluctant Immortal,  
young, inexperienced. They'd love it, he was sure. Mac could "train" him - he half-winced,  
half-laughed. Those sessions were bound to be...interesting... - if he could get Mac away  
from that shop. He worked most days...but hadn't he just gotten some new kid? Yeah...Anna  
or something. She was quite pretty, but had a funny look in her eyes that he recognised at  
once. She had seen a lot, for someone as young as her, and none of it good. She also seemed  
fairly smart - she knew about as much of history as you could without ...well, without being  
Immortal, and he had to respect that. And he'd gotten the shock of this particular life when  
he'd switched to a half-died out, little known Indian dialect to talk to Mac, and she'd said  
coolly, without even an accent that he would have to find another language if he wanted to  
talk without her understanding. Mac hadn't even looked surprised, but commented when they  
found a language that she didn't know - an ancient strain of Greek - that she was a bit of an  
enigma. Finding out she spoke one of the obscurest Indian dialects in existence was only  
worth a raising of the eyebrows, after the last two weeks. Something about her picking out  
six excellent fakes in his collection, amongst other things. He sighed. An enigma, Mac had  
said. So he wouldn't mind seeing her in a bikini. She was still Mac's fucking enigma, and  
she would stay his, as far as he was concerned.  
  
****  
A/N: OK, snigger now everybody. Definitely Methos' fucking enigma by the time I'm  
through with him.  
****  
  
Max rolled out of the mattress she'd bought the other day. Four am, and she'd only gotten  
home at two. Ah well, she'd take a run and find somewhere to get breakfast before going to  
work. Swinging past the shop without even noticing, she saw a figure crawling through a  
window - concealed to any other passer-by, but not one with Max's eyes. She ran lightly  
towards him, and managed to yank the surprised intruder out by his jacket. She gasped in  
surprise as she saw his face.  
"Zack?!"  
"Max!"   
"What the hell are you doing here, robbing my shop?"  
"Your shop?"  
"OK, I work here. So? Why're you here, big brother?"  
"Got paid to find a certain old statue and buy it." He jerked his head towards the shop. "This  
guy's got it, so I figured I'd keep the cash and nick the statue." Max shook her head sadly.   
"Really, Zack, is this what you're coming to? I'm so disappointed in you." She said, mock-  
unhappy. He gave her a rare grin.   
"How're you settling in?"  
"It's cool. I got a place, job here pays ok, some friends in my block. Not even seeing any of  
my 'old friends' till today." She added sarcastically.   
"Good. Now can I go steal that statue?" She glared.  
"No. You're buying it, mate, and that's the price you're paying for telling me off about  
stealing after I got out." He rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "When's this place open?"  
Max checked hers too. "Half an hour. You'll live - sometimes the owner's here early  
anyway."  
As it happened, the owner was around the other side of the shop, listening to every word that  
he could manage to hear. Duncan had come early to fix a broken light, and heard' Anna'  
finding the intruder as he was about to unlock the back door. Anna had become somewhat of  
a mystery to him; one he would be just as happy to never unfold, but he was still curious. So,  
Anna had a brother, his name was Zack...and he called her Max. They'd both been thieves  
for at least awhile; Anna had had to 'get out' of somewhere. He shook his head. He had more  
questions now than he had started with. He walked up the stairs, since the exchange between  
Anna and 'Zack' seemed over, and unlocked the back door. Out the front, Max turned to  
Zack and said   
"See? He'll open the front in a minute so I can come in. He isn't going to mind an early  
purchase. By the way, I'm Anna Paulsen." Zack rolled his eyes and followed her in after  
Duncan unlocked the door, still wondering about Anna.   
"Good morning." He said, sounding a little surprised to see her so early. "Who's this?" After  
all, Anna hadn't brought anyone to the shop before.  
"Oh, this is Sam, a friend. He's after an old statue he heard was here." Max said innocently.  
She's an excellent liar, Mac had to concede. I couldn't have picked it. It took less than ten  
minutes to find the desired statue, and Zack paid up grumpily, then left. The day went by  
with no more excitement, but that night at Joe's bar, Mac told Joe and Methos about what  
he'd heard. Joe was puzzled; Methos wanted to make it very clear that it wasn't his problem  
and he'd like it to stay that way...  
"Just leave me out of this, okay?"  
"Methos, deal, okay? You get me one more big thing about Anna Paulsen or tail her around  
for a week, and I'll leave you out of it completely." Methos' face turned dark.  
"When I say leave me out, I mean I want nothing to do with it!" Mac tried to calm him.  
"Nothing but this, Adam." He asked, looking at Methos levelly.  
"Nothing?"   
"Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Nil." Unless you happen to wish to investigate yourself...and if she  
hasn't got you interested after a week, I'll personally go after the person who stole the  
Methos I know and get you back.  
"Good. Shout me a round three nights a week for a month and I might even do it." Should've  
known that was coming, Mac thought ruefully.  
"Deal."  
"Deal, then." They shook hands, Methos still looking sour. Should've known he'd get me  
involved somehow. I'll bet I'm interested after two days, too. Annoying bugger he is. Can't  
leave the poor girl and her secrets alone. She's dealt with them for what, 19 years? She can  
manage them for a few more. Well, I'll start on her tomorrow.  
"Got her address?"  
"Yeah; she's squatting in about the only block in the city that has power." He grinned.  
"Apparently someone in there's a whiz with a switchboard, nicked the power from one of the  
big buildings, fixed it so they wouldn't -" Methos cut him off. "Yeah, yeah, I know where  
that is. Week starts tomorrow."  
*~*~*~*  
The next day, 5am, Max's apartment.  
*~*~*~*  
Methos peered in carefully. Max's bike was gone; apparently, so was Max. Mildly surprised,  
Methos raised his eyebrows. Well, he could get just as much from an empty apartment as a  
full one. After carefully checking that he wouldn't be surprised by a sudden return, he  
jumped through the window and began to go through her things. Let's see...plenty of food in  
the fridge... but that's not hard if you know where to go. Not much furnishing...a few photos,  
couple of people I haven't seen before; probably from wherever she left. Hmm. Tryptophan;  
amino acid, diet supplement. That's more like something you'd find with someone rich; that  
could afford to waste money like that. He considered. People with drug problems can get  
deficiencies this stuff could help. Maybe that's it. (A/N: That's a rough guess. I only know  
ecstasy users have problems with low serotonin levels. The pictures 'from wherever she left'  
are fakes to lead off anyone watching her. She only has a tiny photo of Cindy, Kendra and  
Logan in her wallet.) If she was a junkie, it'd explain any weird behaviour or hints of a rough  
history. But something doesn't add up. She looks very fit; healthy - two weeks isn't much, but  
Mac hasn't so much as seen her sneeze. Doesn't match to a former junkie - and that wouldn't  
be so long ago, she can't be over twenty. Not much recovery time.   
What'd Mac hear this morning? That she'd stolen for awhile, once, and her brother was  
called Zack...and he called her Max? Maybe it was just a nickname. But if she was a  
thief...old habits die hard. Something might be here.  
He rummaged through her bag, careful not to disturb much, and after much looking,  
discovered a compartment in the bottom. He nearly got stabbed with many small, poisoned  
blades trying to get through its lock, but Immortality did have its benefits there. Jackpot! He  
thought triumphantly. A nice gun, some ammo. Several knives. Shit, but this looked like a  
Mafia's arsenal. A nice set of picks, rope, small black bag, and several other tools he  
recognised, as well as some he did not, that were all obviously well-used and taken care  
for...and unless she was a government agent (he snorted at that idea), all pretty suspicious.   
Well, hopefully this will do for Mac's 'big thing' on Anna. He quickly sealed up the  
compartment and re-attached the locks, exiting via the window. He couldn't risk shutting it,  
he realised, checking his watch. He could hear a motorbike getting closer, and Anna was due  
back soon. She probably wouldn't even notice it, though he disliked sloppy work. He left  
quickly, intending to tell Mac all about this before he got too intrigued.   
Max walked her baby into her apartment slowly. Something felt wrong. She thought some  
things had been moved around - little things, like a note on the table being around the wrong  
way - like someone had been through her apartment, but was smart enough to put everything  
back. Might work on a norm memory, she thought. Not mine. Then she noticed the window  
was slightly open. Now, even a norm might notice that. She thought, disgusted. At least she  
knew her watcher wasn't Manticore; anyone from there would be barely noticeable. Maybe  
unnoticeable. So, who? She wondered. She ticked off the people she knew here. A Manticore  
would be insulted if you suggested he so much as left her jumper the other way around.  
Jacqui, Tim, Karrie, all live here. No reason to bother - Karrie has already seen all my stuff,  
Jacqui only talks to me when she wants help with something, Tim's so blunt that if he wanted  
to know something, he'd just ask. Mac, Zack. Wonderful; they rhyme, she thought  
sarcastically. Zack wouldn't be so stupid as to leave the window open. He mightn't bother  
replacing my stuff exactly because I'd know he was here anyway, but leaving the window  
would probably offend him. That left only Mac. Hell, what would he want? She knew he was   
curious about her; he wasn't bad at hiding it, but he was no X5. Max frowned. It must be him  
- no one else left. Well, mate, time to turn the tables. How's about I tail you 'round for a bit?  
Most people, she had found, only went after other people's secrets when they had some of  
their own. Anyone else had enough sense to see that if someone didn't tell you something,  
they didn't tell you cause you shouldn't know. Secrets were only trouble.  
She ate a quick dinner and headed around to Mac's house. She had his address and number in  
case of a break in or something while he wasn't there. She carefully made her way towards a  
lit window, keeping herself well hidden, and listened..  
"Heading round to Joe's now?" A voice asked...that was some Adam Pierson guy, she  
remembered. He'd come round to the shop a few times.  
"Yeah. Oh, did you get anything on Anna?" Max's stomach dropped about a foot. What the  
hell?  
"Checked out her apartment; she wasn't there. This'd better suffice for a big thing, anyway."  
Mac leaned forward eagerly - Max didn't have to see that to know it.  
"What?"  
"She's got a nice little automatic with some ammo, bunch of picks, knives...kind of stuff  
you'd see with quite an elite thief, to be honest. Or someone with a few people after her that  
she can't be caught by."  
"What's with the picks, then?"  
"Where do you think my emergency funds come from, Mac?"  
"Oh, right. I figured you'd just have huge accounts building up interest."  
"Of course I do. And how am I supposed to withdraw it when it's an emergency?"  
"Okay then...going to Joe's now?"  
"Yeah, let's get out of here. Is that enough for you?!"  
"Yeah, yeah yeah. How much to find out some more?"   
Max had frozen when the other man started cataloguing her 'equipment'. He'd missed her  
best set of picks which stayed with her, and three guns with ammo - two were stored in the  
wall, one on her. A bit of wall plaster wasn't really any barrier to her when she was panicky.  
And now the man wanted him to find out some more! Sweet Jesus Christ, she was not  
moving again, if she had to kill them both. Fuck, she wasn't moving if she had to kill half the  
bloody city.  
"Nothing, because I'm not." Hope returned.  
"Come on, man, can't tell me you aren't interested."  
"Mac, the girl hasn't got half a dozen well-cared for knives, a set of good picks, gun and all  
the rest because she can't use them. I've learned my lesson with prying into other people's  
secrets."  
"Oh really?"  
"Yes. She isn't plastering her life story all over the city for a reason Mac, and I'm thinking  
it's the same as why I'm not plastering mine and my true name across the city."  
"What, because it'd mean hauling out all of your damned diaries?"  
"All five hundred of them, and the fact that I don't like the idea of dying particularly."  
Five hundred? thought Max incredulously. Must be just exaggerating. But people don't  
usually say five hundred ...more like a million or something. A small voice niggled. OK,   
what is he, Immortal, then? Her breath caught as she considered it. It was possible. The  
damned things were everywhere, from what she'd heard, and it'd make the whole curiosity  
and 500 diaries plausible. Well, track 'em tonight and see what happens. Maybe I'll hear a  
familiar name, or catch a watcher.  
The two men were leaving, and she left as soon as they were gone, heading to the bar. She  
knew a few shortcuts - with some luck, she could beat them, making it appear she wasn't  
following them. Basic tactics.  
She allowed herself full speed; not so dangerous when dodging through deserted back streets  
and alleys. Not nearly as dangerous as a couple of norms determined to figure out what she  
was up to, anyway.   
She managed the bar without Mac's car in sight, thank God, and went up to order a beer.  
****  
Mac  
****  
Macloud's head was spinning. Okay, he knew there was something off about Anna, but this  
was a bit much. How could Methos pretend he wasn't interested? And he was pretending. No  
one couldn't be interested; Methos least of all. What the hell could she be doing...? He was  
jolted out of his thoughts by Methos talking.  
"Watch your back for a few days, Mac. She's obviously a fair hand with a knife or a gun, and  
she'll know how to get around without being seen. If she notices things out of place - which  
is possible, although I doubt it," Methos decided prudently to leave the bit about the open  
window out. "She'll probably be on your tail soon enough." He advised, unaware of how true  
his words were.  
"Right. You should, too."  
They had arrived at Joe's, and got out, Methos leading in. He suddenly coughed, and Mac  
wondered at the cause. Something must've surprised the old man.  
"Me-" Mac began, but the sight of Anna talking comfortably to Joe, over a half-downed glass  
of beer, silenced him.  
"Well, seems your prime suspect now knows Joe." Methos commented blandly.  
"Shut up." Mac told him, as they walked over to the pair.  
"Hey," Methos said. "Anna, right?" he asked. Max smiled. "Yeah, that's me. You're Adam,  
right?"  
"The first man," Mac interjected. Joe laughed, and Adam hit him lightly, shaking his head at  
Max. "Inside joke. I'm not that old!" He glared at Mac.  
"Right, sure." Max said blandly. "I believe you." She was actually trying to mask surprise.  
Joe had lifted his hand to wave to the two men, and she caught a glimpse of a Watcher tattoo.   
Seems one off guess was a little more accurate than I thought. Now, all I have to do is watch  
for that stiffening they get every so often, when they sense another of theirs. Easy as pie.  
Dealing with it if her hunch was right would be trickier. She groaned inwardly as she thought  
about it. Much trickier.  
Adam was grumbling about stupid people and tired jokes, all the while sculling a beer. How  
you wrangled that she wasn't sure, but he seemed to be managing.  
"Easy, Adam," Joe said laughingly. "You aren't drinking me out of my bar again." He  
pointed at the man, mock-angry. "Beer is water to the man!" Max just raised her eyebrows. If  
he had that Immortal healing factor, he'd be a challenge for her she hadn't had since she last  
saw Zack.  
"Joe, I think there may be several bars empty after we're done." She gestured to herself and  
Adam. "Bet I can take more than you can." He grinned. "You're on. I should warn you, I  
haven't found anyone a challenge for a year now." She grinned back, mischievously.  
"Neither have I."  
Joe just groaned. "Well, you're both going to pay." Max smiled innocently. "Wouldn't have  
it any other way. Dutch treat." Adam nodded, if a little reluctantly.   
"No pouring it on the ground. If you can't hold it steady, get Mac to."  
"No passing out and reviving. Out for more than ten seconds, and you're gone." They  
nodded, for all the world as if they were commanders on different sides of a war, Joe  
thought, and began to scull their first beers. He had to pity the woman. She'd have the kind  
of hangover you got...well, the kind of hangover you got after drinking with Methos.   
Fifteen beers later, they were both still mostly sober, and Joe and Mac both were startled.  
Anna might be a little ...different, but that wouldn't affect the amount she could drink much.  
But she was keeping up with Methos, after fifteen beers, and now they were both demanding  
spirits.   
An hour later, and they had a full audience. The regulars knew how much Methos could  
drink, and they always watched when someone tried to beat him. To their surprise, this  
particular someone seemed to have a chance - and a woman, too! Methos was feeling mildly  
surprised - although, if he'd been sober, he would've been in mild shock. The girl was  
keeping up...he downed another vodka, and felt things begin to go a little blurry.   
Max downed her vodka without a cough or sway. Things had gone blurry a few glasses ago,  
but damn it, no one was beating X5-452. She was the best drinker out of all the X5's, and no  
mere norm, immortal norm or not, was going to be better than them. She hung onto focus for  
grim death.  
Forty minutes later, and they were almost had it. Both were lurching; neither could remember  
if they'd thrown up yet, but it seemed likely. A thought wandered towards Max; she tried to  
figure out what it was again...yeah, if a policemen breath-tested them right now, both of them  
would be rightfully dead eleven times over...she felt herself vaguely slipping into somewhere  
nice, and dark, and renewed her grip on the bar. No kidding, this guy had to be Immortal. No  
one held his drink with her.  
Methos blinked unsteadily. The nice dark place was right nearby...hell, what was wrong with  
this woman? Methos could drink more than any other person he'd met and it was staying that  
way.  
They struggled heroically to remain conscious for all of five minutes, when Adam slumped  
down in mindless defeat. One minute later, Max smiled woozily - the fact that Adam was out  
had finally penetrated.   
  
************  
  
Methos woke up with a groan. Immortal healing was all well and good for bullets, but  
enough alcohol to kill you several times over buggered it a bit. In short, his hangover wasn't  
receding very fast. He pulled himself up with another groan and lurched over to the medicine  
cabinet, checking the time. 8:40am. He gulped every Panadeine Forte he could find, and  
stumbled back to bed, grabbing the phone on the way. If that little bitch that beat him in a  
drinking competition - which hadn't happened in three and a half thousand years! - and had  
made it to work on time, he was going to cut off his own head. Maybe then it would stop  
aching.  
Naah.  
  
************  
  
Max rolled out of bed, trying to see through the mind-shaking headache and nausea that were  
threatening to overwhelm her. 8:00, I have time, but what did I do?! She asked herself. I'm  
never this...oh, yeah. Bloody friend of Mac's, drinking more than any normal human has a  
right to...suddenly, she choked, and it was only thirty percent because of the bile rising in her  
throat. Any normal human... she realised. I think I've got my Immortal. Or one of them,  
anyway. Mac could be, easy.  
She staggered over to her suitcase, and managed to shower and dress. The shower helped  
clear her head, but she wished she had some painkillers. Getting soft, Maxie? Zack's silent  
voice teased her. I'm not actually taking them, damn it! She yelled back at it, the stray  
thought that the first sign of madness was talking to yourself springing to mind. She brushed  
her hair and teeth, thanking the Manticore scientists for at least doing whatever they did to  
keep her eyes from being too bloodshot, or herself from dying of hangover, walked out the  
door and rode her baby to Mac's shop.   
She was leaning against the door when he arrived, five minutes late. She shook an aching  
finger at his astonished look. Undoubtably surprised I'm not dead of hangover.  
"You're late. Can I sack you?"  
"No. But for making it to work on time after beating M-Adam in a drinking competition, it  
might just be possible." He said, still sounding surprised. She noted the slip on Adam's  
name. Freudian slip?  
"Thank you so much. Now, can I have his phone number so I can kill him for getting me into  
this?"   
"I'd say feel free, but I'm sure he'll call the shop soon to groan. He doesn't get beaten too  
often."  
"I'll bet." She muttered. "Groan to me and he's getting an earful of Original Cindy." She  
added under her breath. Sure enough, a few minutes after they got into the shop, the phone  
rang. Mac put it on speaker, grinning at Max.  
"Mac, tell me that girl isn't at work this morning." A voice rasped.  
"Good morning sunshine! It's Anna here. You don't sound so good. Are you feeling sick?"  
Max asked, managing a sugar-sweet voice despite her terminally numbed brain. Her only  
response of fluent swearing in several languages; some that even she didn't recognise, a  
groan and the words "Mac, I think I may just cut off my head. To stop the aching. So if you  
don't see me for a few weeks, you'll know what happened." Then there was silence. Mac lost  
his battle with trying to hold in his laughter. "Shut up!" Methos groaned, and Max shoved  
him into the ground reasonably hard, muttering into the phone "OK, fine, I feel just as shitty  
as you do. You'll be happy to know that Mac is now struggling up from the floor, hopefully  
with a broken nose."   
Methos rolled over and closed his eyes. Well. Maybe she was at work, maybe she wasn't, his  
head ached too much to remember. But one thing was certain in his foggy brain - she'd  
broken Mac's nose when he wanted to, but couldn't. For that, he could forgive a lot.  
Max jabbed the end call button grumpily as Mac got up, unsuccessfully trying to cover his  
bleeding nose. Good, she thought. I got him. Suddenly, she focussed on his nose. Blue  
sparks...and now no broken nose. She caught Mac's look of panic as she stared at him. Great  
covert work, Max. She covered quickly,   
"A nosebleed?! You aren't getting off that lightly!" she cried in mock-anger, backhanding  
him lightly, and saw him relax. The rest of the day was quite normal, although Duncan  
glanced at her a little uneasily when he thought she wasn't looking. 


	2. Methos

A/N: Thanks to rosie, White Kittie and Feynor for reviewing! C'mon, there must be more  
than three people that've read this. A little info on my chapters: don't be surprised if it just  
stops in the middle of a conversation. I'm uploading whenever I go on the net and I've  
written a bit more.   
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, Egg Dude and Mr. Help-my-boat-is-sinking own 'em. Duh.  
  
Max pondered what to do about it in her apartment that night. She wasn't quite up to a night  
out, and she had to work out what to do about Mac and Adam. Well, first things first. Must  
hack into Watcher database to find out what I can about these two. I could hack in from some  
net caf‚...and get tracked to the computer, then told in from the owner of the place. That had  
happened to her more than once with the Watchers. Or, I could call Logan. She bit her lip.  
She didn't know exactly why she was...admit it...scared to call him. That's it. She decided.  
Scared schmared. I'm calling him.  
"Cale residence." A woman answered. One that she didn't know. Max bit her lip harder.  
"Is Logan there?"  
"Sure, I'll get him. Who's calling?" She sounded friendly enough.  
"Max."   
"OK." She sounded dubious. What, I'm not even worth mentioning to your new girl, Logan?  
She thought, then regretted it. That was just bitter. You never so much as said anything to  
him. What do you expect? And she might not be his girlfriend.  
"Logan!" She heard the woman call.  
"What?" Logan sounded grumpy. She grinned. No doubt she had interrupted the saving of the  
world. Again.  
"Phone for you!"  
"I'm busy -"  
"Someone called Max!" Silence. Max held her breath, but felt a smile creeping to her lips.  
Then Logan was on the phone.   
"Hey." She wished she could see him. Scratch that. So long as she was wishing, she was  
wishing Manticore dead, and her back in Seattle to boot.  
"Hey, what's up?"  
"Well, I'm trying to save the world here, but you interrupted." He replied, mock-disdainful  
and peeved.  
"World's gonna have to wait. What do you know about the 'Watchers'?"  
"Um...there's some kind of urban legend about Immortal humans, and these guys supposed  
record their lives." He sounded confused.  
"Hell, how do you find these things out?" Max asked, genuinely impressed for once. Not that  
he was going to find that out.  
"Conspiracy theory websites are everywhere. Why are you asking?"  
"Well, sit down." A loud cough went into the phone, and Max winced.   
"Sorry." She actually meant it, too. "They're both real."  
"What?!"  
"I went on this mission, when I was twelve. And I had to investigate them - find out if they  
were for real. I came back, said they had some nice antiques, but were crackpots. And that  
was pretty much the end of it, besides the fact that they now owe me. But now I'm working  
for this guy, and I'm positive he is one. Do you know much about them?"  
"Putting the whole disbelief thing aside for now, they heal with their Quickening..." he gave  
her a rundown on them.  
"That's pretty much it. Anyway, my employer, his friend, and the owner of a bar nearby is  
my employer's Watcher. My employer's friend I know almost nothing of. Except that he can  
drink as much as Zack - marginally less than me." Logan laughed.  
"OK, what do you want me to do about it?"  
"Um, the Watchers have this database, all Immortals are on it pretty much. So if you could  
look up Adam Pierson and Duncan Macleod, I'd much appreciate it."  
"OK...hang on." A few minutes later, he said, "Found it, but it'll take me a while, so you may  
as well go. I'll call back when I'm done. Anything else?" He sounded almost unhappy about  
hanging up.   
"Um, you could look up an Immortal that wouldn't spread his name about, whose name starts  
with M. And is about a thousand, or older. Brown hair, pale skin, tall..." She tried to  
remember more about what he looked like, but apparently alcohol wasn't good for the  
memory.  
"Sure...um, explain?"  
"Well, Mac slipped on Adam's name the other day, and he began to say something starting  
with M. So I figured it might be that. And I overheard Adam say he wasn't spreading his true  
name about for a reason, and he had five hundred diaries."  
"Right. See you later then..." He said.  
"Right. Page me if I'm out. Bye." She hung up, and flopped onto her bed. Times like these  
she wished she slept more. After checking her watch for the sixteenth time, and finding it  
was only ten minutes since she hung up, she decided to go tail Adam around for awhile.  
Right now, they were pretty much equal in what they knew of each other. She decided she  
might just be able to fix that...  
Two minutes later she was zooming around on her motorcycle, making for Adam's house.  
Ah. Just heading out. Perfect. She ditched the bike about a block away, and crept after him.  
She tailed him silently as he wandered seemingly aimlessly through alleys and back streets. If  
this is his idea of a nice walk, he's got a problem. Ah. Nice flat-looking roof. Jump up there,  
he'll never see me. She checked for bystanders. No one coming down the street, no one at the  
windows, behind her -   
Max dodged to her left at full speed, and whirled around. Only lightning fast reflexes and  
instinct had saved her. Five brawny guys, one with a nice-looking gun. Only one gun, and  
she'd be all right if she could get rid of it, but in the meantime...they were five strong guys  
with a gun. She prayed Adam wouldn't come to investigate. That would put tonight beyond  
all redemption. The guy with the gun stepped forward, and she tried to look fearful. He  
relaxed a little, and loosened his grip on his gun.   
Mistake.  
Max knocked it out of his hand in a vicious kick that smashed up part of the gun as well as  
his hand. He yelled, and a fair way down the street, Methos turned around.  
Girl...guys looking murderous. He groaned inwardly. Looks like the boys were out to have  
some fun, whether she liked it or not, and she was...not liking it. He hesitantly began walking  
back towards them. Fair enough, there were five brawny guys, but he was Immortal, he had a  
sword, and he wasn't turning into Macleod by helping, he was just being nice. But his pace  
slowed even more as he approached, and he blinked, surprised. The girl was no immortal, or  
he would have felt it by now, but she was taking them out like so many bugs. She was  
lightning quick, and trained in hand-to-hand combat, by the look of her. And strong. Very  
strong, to knock two flying with a couple of hard kicks.   
Max caught a glimpse of Adam walking back towards the struggle. Shit. Logan had so better  
dig up some dirt on this guy, or I'm going to have to either kill him and Mac, or change  
cities...again. I'm going for murder.  
Adam watched worriedly. She had seemed distracted for a moment, and one just landed a  
hard punch to her temple. She lurched back, but just as he went to pull out his sword, she  
lurched forward again and slammed the guy's head with her own. Hard, seeing as he was  
reeling now. Did she have metal plating in her skull or something?  
She took out one more, and then ran for it, disappearing quickly. He decided to make good  
his escape as well. Those guys looked pissy. He went home, thinking the events over. When  
all was said and done, a girl had taken on five big guys, one with a gun, and came out on top.  
And that meant she was different. Not that he was going to go around and ask questions. He  
was smarter than that. But here was something he had never even encountered. Nice to know  
there still was stuff like that. Kept life interesting.  
  
*****Max*****  
Max wheeled her bike into her apartment to hear her phone ringing. She grabbed it.   
"Logan?"  
"Yeah, it's me. Listen, this Adam guy, he's..." Max grinned nastily. She just knew this would  
make her feel better. "on the Watcher records, head researcher of the Methos project. Methos  
is supposed to be a legend among them, five, six thousand years old, no one even knows if  
he's still alive. They talk about him like...he's a legend, basically. And..." he paused. Max  
was intrigued. "Keep going!"  
"There are a few 'm' Immortals over one thousand, but...they all have pictures, and only one  
could fit your description. And they've all been sighted recently, so they couldn't pass  
themselves off as Watchers. Think about it, Max." He sounded half-excited, half-dubious.  
She thought. Head of Methos project. Click. Posing as Watcher. Click. No picture, but he's  
over a thousand. Click.  
"He's...Methos." Her own voice sounded uncertain. "He is Methos. My God. Five thousand  
years, can you imagine that?" She laughed suddenly, a little shrilly. "He could tell you what  
Jesus was like. Imagine what he'd know! He speaks about things thousands of years ago like  
he's been there, with this innocent look. God! I can't believe this."  
"I still don't exactly believe in Immortals." Logan laughed, but it sounded a little strangled.  
"Give me a week. But as to your other guy, he's a little calmer. Duncan Macleod of the Clan  
Macleod, knows about the Watchers - that's quite rare - and often talks to his - Joe." He  
paused.   
"And it says he's another boy scout like you, isn't he?" Max asked mischievously.  
"We prefer the term 'do-gooder', thank you." He replied in his haughtiest tone. They both  
laughed.  
"I can believe that. He's nice enough. How old?"  
"Four hundred or so."  
"Phew. Don't think I could live with another person who's met Christ." She responded wryly.  
"How're the eyes going?"  
"Good, good. Missing you, but anyway." Max felt a tingle of pleasure. Even if it was  
probably just because of Eyes Only, he was still missing her.  
"Yeah, miss you too." She tried to toss it off lightly. "Need anything?"  
"Not right now. Thanks, though."  
"Welcome. You don't have to ask, you know." His laugh was a little self-deprecatory, but  
genuine. "Since when do I worry about that?" It was another hour before they hung up, and  
Max was surprised. It had felt like five minutes. She flopped into bed. Only ten. Well, she'd  
just wake up at midnight, or one or something, and take a ride on her baby. 


End file.
